Brazilian Tropical Coconut Rice Pudding,

Brazil has just as many sweet rice recipes as Portugal does, and as usual with a lot of Brazilian recipes, they lean on… ingredients that are more common “down there”, in this case coconut milk instead of cow’s milk. The result is interesting, rich, creamy, plenty of natural sweetness, with of course an intense coconut flavor. Don’t take this as a criticism at all, it’s just a sweet rice that’s quite different from the typical Portuguese one. Also, because it’s fairly sweet, one bowl is more than enough to make you happy. I liked how it turned out, but I still prefer the more traditional Portuguese sweet rice versions, hehehe.

I also included a bit of toasted shredded coconut, just to add some texture, and I’m honestly not sure cinnamon pairs all that well with coconut. Sprinkling some crushed Maria cookies on top is another good option, actually. So, let’s get to the recipe!

Brazilian Tropical Coconut Rice Pudding,

Servings: 4-6
Time: 40mins
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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For today how about a delicious alternative to the classic Portuguese sweet rice, creamy, with an intense coconutty flavor, delicious warm or cold, perfect if you love coconut.

Ingredients

Rice – 125g (Short Grain)
Water – 500ml
Salt – A Pinch
Coconut Milk – 500ml
Lemon – 1 Peel
Sugar – 150g
Shredded Coconut – 60g
Shredded Coconut – For Sprinkling (Optional)

Directions

Start by cooking the rice in water with a pinch of salt and a lemon peel until it’s almost done.

Reduce the heat and add the coconut milk, sugar, and shredded coconut to the rice. Let it cook until it reaches the desired consistency, you want a smooth mixture, which you will cook slowly until it thickens slightly.

While the rice pudding thickens, toast the shredded coconut in empty frying pan until golden brown.
Taste the rice pudding to see if it’s to your liking and cooked through (note that it will thicken more after chilling). Distribute the dessert into individual bowls or a large serving dish and sprinkle with the toasted shredded coconut. Enjoy!

Notes & Tips: If you have coconut condensed milk on hand, you can use 400 ml of it plus 100 ml of water, and of course, in that case, leave out the coconut milk and sugar from the recipe above.

Use short grain rice, it releases more starch and gives the pudding that creamy texture this dish depends on. Stir often once the coconut milk goes in, coconut milk can catch and scorch on the bottom of the pan more easily than regular milk.

Toast the shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium-low heat and keep an eye on it, it goes from golden to burnt very quickly.

Remember the rice will keep thickening as it cools, so if you’re planning to serve it cold, take it off the heat while it’s still slightly looser than you want the final texture to be.

Leftovers keep well covered in the fridge for a couple of days, a splash of coconut milk stirred in when reheating brings it back to life if its too thick.

This recipe for Brazilian Tropical Coconut Rice Pudding, was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Arroz Doce de Leite de Coco foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.